Pakistan extradites Bali bombing suspect Umar Patek to Indonesia

Armed officers stand guard outside a police compound where Indonesian militant Umar Patek is detained in the outskirts of Jakarta, Indonesia, Aug. 11. Patek, who allegedly made the explosives used in the 2002 Bali bombings, returned to his homeland under tight security Thursday, more than six months after he was captured in northwest Pakistan, officials said.

Upon Mr. Patek’s return, the head of the country’s anti-terrorism agency, Ansyaad Mbai, told local media that the Javanese-Arab militant had admitted to making the bombs used in the 2002 Bali bombings that killed 202 people, mostly foreigners.

Patek’s arrest has stirred concerns about how best to prosecute militants suspected of cross-border terrorism. His co-conspirator in the Bali bombing, a militant known as Hambali, is currently at Guantanamo Bay, awaiting trial after being arrested in Thailand in 2003.

Initially, Indonesian officials feared Patek could walk free if he was returned to Jakarta, since a robust anti-terrorism law enacted in 2003 could not be applied retroactively to punish Patek for his alleged role in the Bali bombings.